The 6 Best Pressure Cookers for Fast, Easy Weeknight Meals

Pressure cookers have been around for centuries, but interest in electric pressure cookers—which let you to cook food up to 10 times faster than on a stovetop or oven—has spiked in recent years, as more and more home chefs have realized how versatile pressure cookers can be. Take last year on Amazon Prime Day, for example: The retailer reported that a whopping 215,000 people purchased the popular Instant Pot electric pressure cooker in just one day.

What makes pressure cookers so great? They enable you to perfectly cook a wide range of foods in record time. As a result, they're perfect for nights when you couldn't be bothered (or you're too hot) to turn on the oven, or when you want a quick and healthy dinner, stat, but forgot to pre-program your slow cooker before you left the house in the morning.

How to use a pressure cooker

This really depends on the model you choose. With most electric pressure cookers, you pour water or another cooking liquid (such as broth or stock) into the pot, assemble your ingredients on a rack placed above the liquid, then program it to cook. As the liquid boils, an airtight lid keeps steam inside the device, raising the temperature so food cooks faster than it otherwise would. Stovetop pressure cookers function similarly but tend to require a little more hands-on prep since they don't have the preprogrammed meal settings you find on electric models.

Note: No matter what type of pressure cooker you choose, make sure to read the instruction manual carefully so you know exactly how to safely open the lid—if you open it before it's fully de-pressurized, hot steam will shoot out.

What can you cook in a pressure cooker?

Poultry, meat, stews, and soups are some of the most common foods to make in a pressure cooker, but don't stop there: Some of the devices below also have settings that allow you to make rice, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, multigrain bread, even desserts like brownies. Need inspiration? Here are some of our favorite pressure cooker recipes.

Below, some of the top models on the market that will have you whipping up delicious pressure-cooked meals in no time, including both electric and stovetop pressure cookers.

1

Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker

Amazon.com

There's a reason the name "Instant Pot" has become synonymous with pressure cookers much as Kleenex has to facial tissues or Chapstick to lip balm. The bestselling model has over 28,000 mostly positive Amazon reviews and is a true multitasking kitchen gadget. It's a pressure cooker, yes, but it's also a slow cooker, rice cooker, and yogurt maker, and it can perfectly saute, brown, steam, and warm your food. Choose between the three-, six-, or eight-quart model depending on how much counter space you have and how many people you're typically cooking for.

2

Crock-Pot 6 Qt 8-in-1 Multi-Use Express

Amazon.com

Not to be outdone, this bestselling slow cooker brand also recently entered the pressure cooker game with their Express gadget, which offers eight one-touch cook settings (meat/stew, beans/chili, rice/risotto, yogurt, poultry, dessert, soup, and multigrain). If you're cost-conscious, their six-quart model rings in a little under the Instant Pot's.

3

Presto 01264 6-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker

Amazon.com

Electric pressure cookers are nearly foolproof to use, but if there's one thing they're not, it's compact. These gadgets tend to be round, clunky, and take up valuable kitchen space—which can be a drawback especially for those with smaller apartment kitchens. If that sounds like you, consider a traditional stovetop pressure cooker. Presto's six-quart cooker is an Amazon bestseller and will set you back just $35.

4

Mealthy MultiPot 9-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker

Amazon.com

Intimidated by the many settings on some electric pressure cookers? Mealthy's mobile app (available on iOS and Android) offers recipes and step-by-step videos to help you become a pressure cooker pro in no time. Also good: This model includes a dual steamer basket so you can make two different dishes simultaneously for even more efficient meal prep.

5

Prefer your pressure cooker with a bit more flair? Food Network star Ree Drummond, better known as the Pioneer Woman, just released two new Instant Pots adorned with vintage floral prints as part of her line with Walmart. Plus, it includes a booklet of Drummond's favorite pressure cooker recipes.

6

Breville Fast Slow Pro Pressure Cooker

Williams Sonoma

It's pricey, but this Breville model is often considered one of the top-of-the-line pressure cookers (and like many of the models above, it also doubles as a slow cooker). Cool features include automatic temperature adjustment, a hands-free steam release, and 11 different cook settings.